Happy Friday! As always, your weekly roundup:
The archbishop of San Francisco is getting pushback from some parents, students, and teachers after unveiling a faculty handbook calling on teachers to lead public and professional lives consistent with church teachings on homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion, birth control and other behaviors he described as evil, the Associated Press says.
Pope Francis will be the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress on Sept. 24. “We’re humbled that the Holy Father has accepted our invitation and certainly look forward to receiving his message on behalf of the American people,” House Speaker John Boehner said.
California lawmakers plan to introduce legislation to end the right of parents in the state to exempt their children from school vaccinations based on personal beliefs.
In England, lawmakers voted in favor of a law that would make the country the first in the world to allow an in vitro fertilization technique using DNA from three people.
The Vatican’s outreach initiative toward women got off to a bad start this week as a promotional video was criticized for including a sexist stereotype of Western women.
An 84-year-old nun was sentenced to 35 months in prison Tuesday after she and two other peace activists were arrested in 2012 for breaking into a nuclear facility.
And now for the papal rapid fire roundup:
This week, Pope Francis:
- Hung out in cyberspace.
- Wrote a letter.
- Told bishops to protect kids instead of their careers.
- Declared Oscar Romero a martyr.
- Said spanking kids is OK.
- Is a dinosaur.
